Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
My husband and I moved recently. The house we left was large and we had been there for nearly 20 years. It is where our children spent most of their years growing up. We had been ready to downsize for several years but the move came about rather suddenly and this last month has been a true flurry of activity! I got choked up at the closing on our house and that surprised me. I got teary going through all the kids’ school art work and awards I had stashed in the attic and I had trouble letting go of my grandmother’s chipped, unusable goblets that she received as a wedding gift. When the last load was emptied at our new house, I realized that we still had to let go of at least half of what was sitting on the floor of our garage. So much “stuff”! I am certain I spent as much time rationalizing why I should keep these things as I did packing them. Now, a week later, I look at the stacks of boxes still taped closed and wonder what I was thinking. Frankly, I do not need anything I haven’t already unpacked, but for some reason I felt I needed to take them with me. Today’s readings made me take a much closer look at this.
In the first reading from the Book of Judges we are witness to the unmitigated disobedience of the Israelites. The influences of the surrounding cultures press in upon them from every side and overcome their better judgment. Despite God’s guidance in the form of judges and the Commandments, God’s people choose repeatedly to turn away from God completely. The Gospel reading from Matthew is the story of the rich young man who approaches Jesus and asks what he must do to gain eternal life. This is a man who has led a good life and adhered to the commandments (the Law), yet somehow realizes he has fallen short. Why else would he have approached Jesus with this question? Jesus tells him to sell what he has and “Then come follow me” (Mt 19:21). We do not know what possessions the young man has, how he uses what he owns, or how he obtained them. What we can surmise is that this young man realizes that he is lacking something in merely adhering to the commandments—just fulfilling the minimum requirements. But Jesus’ response to the young man is personal and precise. Give everything away and follow him. The end of this story leads us to believe that the young man was unable, at least at that moment, to do what Jesus asked of him. I feel compassion for the young man. I can readily identify with his hesitancy to let go of his possessions. Our possessions can give us a feeling of security. But I can also relate to what Jesus says is the consequence of completely giving it all away. Jesus is preaching about the Kingdom. Jesus is telling us what the one important thing is. Jesus is telling us that meeting the minimum requirements just doesn’t cut it. There is a choice to be made.
We are placed on this earth in a certain time and our lives carry us through various circumstances and situations. We make some decisions and other decisions are made for us. We seek some things and others are thrust upon us. What is placed in my care in the form of relationships, possessions, and gifts can be grace filled opportunities to bring God more fully into the center of my life and those whose lives I touch or they can become temptations to lure me away from Him and what He calls me to be as a Christian disciple. I can also view my possessions as a source of security which can prevent me from finding the one and only source of true security—God. Not many of us are called to give away all our possessions and live in poverty. But, as disciples, all of us are called to place Jesus at the very center of our existence and strive to place everything that we have at the service of the Kingdom of God. This is an ongoing challenge to face as we, like the Israelites, live immersed in a society that constantly calls us away from God and offers us counterfeit security in all its various forms.. The young man in the Gospel was called to sell all his possessions and, in the end, “went away sad”. We, as disciples, have accepted a call far beyond merely meeting the minimum requirements. I often fall short of “giving it all” away. I suspect I will spend the next few months letting go of more “stuff”. I pray I can use this time in my life as an opportunity to be more intentional in letting things go, in reordering my life, and consciously seeking my security in God.
"O Holy One,
You have been so generous with me and I am grateful.
Grant me the grace this day to seek my security in you alone.
Guide my choices to the glory of Your Name.
with the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Through Jesus Christ. Amen"
- Gail Lyman